Twenty Minutes the Difference
by lousiemcdoogle
Summary: "Twenty minutes ago, she had already begun her interrogation of Bobby. Twenty minutes ago, he would have slipped into the observation room to watch. Twenty minutes ago, he would have heard her confess to remembering everything, in the worst possible way." -What if Castle never heard her say she remembers? A 47 Seconds fix-it, because there's no such thing as too many of those.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N I had this idea as I was re-watching 47 Seconds- what if Castle never saw Beckett interrogate Bobby? What if he never heard her confession? What if he had been just a few minutes late to the precinct? Because they were so darn close!**

**This is going to be a two-parter at this point. The second half is just waiting for me to finish it up.**

**Disclaimer: Belongs to the genius that is Andrew Marlowe. The Castle characters are just so brilliant they make me want to have a turn playing. I'll put them back, I promise. Scraps of dialogue borrowed from 47 Seconds. **

* * *

"Guy's still not talking?" Esposito asked Beckett as she made her way back to her desk.

"Not yet. I'm gonna let him sweat for a bit," she replied, the ragged edges of frustration lacing her tone.

The elevator dinged across the bullpen. Kate glanced up hopefully, secretly chiding herself even as she did so for the bubble of excitement fluttering in her stomach at the possibility that it might be her partner. Sure enough, Castle strode out purposefully, carrying his customary two cups of coffee. Kate couldn't stop the smile that graced her lips as he held one out to her, fingers brushing against each other in their morning ritual.

"Sorry I'm late," he breathed in a rush. "Alexis forgot something so we had to turn around. We were sharing a cab. Otherwise I would have been here twenty minutes ago. No luck with those witness statements. You guys catch a break?"

Esposito proceeded to fill him in on the events of the morning, and Kate took the opportunity to situate herself at her desk, her mind reeling. He could have been here twenty minutes ago. Twenty minutes ago, she had already begun her interrogation of Bobby. Twenty minutes ago, he would have slipped into the observation room to watch.

Twenty minutes ago, he would have heard her confess to remembering everything, in the worst possible way.

She could only imagine how he might have taken that, what damage it would have done to this precious, fragile thing that was finally blossoming between them.

It had been good for her to say the words, though, even just as an interrogation technique. Kind of like a dry run. She looked up at him as he conversed with Esposito, all broad shoulders and dashing pinstripe shirt that emphasized the blue of his eyes. He caught her looking, and his gaze softened into the eye-smile she secretly hoped he used only with her.

Yes, she was most certainly thinking about her next move, as she had mentioned to Ryan earlier.

A dry run had been all very well, but the second this case closed, she would be dragging him somewhere private, somewhere away from interruptions, and she would tell him, dammit. She had to.

She couldn't put it off any more.

* * *

"...So, let's get out of here, head on home, and catch up on some much needed rest," Captain Gates finished.

With tired smiles, handshakes, and the cheerful knowledge that they had bested the FBI, the crowd dispersed in chattering bunches, eventually leaving only three Detectives and their civilian consultant.

Kate moved to her desk, but glanced up at her boys. "You know what? I'm still kind of wired. Do you guys want to go out for a drink?" she asked, glancing between her team- trying not to look too pointedly at her partner, focusing on the boys instead.

"Uh, sorry. I don't. It feels like a month since I've seen Jenny. I should probably get home," Ryan said, tiredness etched on his face.

"Me, too. Yeah, I'm tanked," Esposito said, looking equally worn out. "Holla at ya."

Castle and Kate both nodded and smiled their farewells as the boys headed out. Kate turned to her partner hopefully.

"So I guess it's just us," she said, trying desperately not to give away how thrilled she was at the thought. He smiled at her as he moved towards his chair and picked up his coat, smoothing it over his arm.

"Yeah," was all he said, but the look in his eye warmed her insides, made her stomach flip. Something about it gave her the nudge she needed to move a little closer and open her mouth again.

"You know, now that the case is done- what did you want to talk about?" she asked, her heart in her throat, hoping against hope that he would pick up on the opening she had given him, that he would step in and be brave where her courage stretched thin.

A smile danced around the corner of his mouth. He swept his eyes around the rapidly emptying bull pen, before locking eyes with her once again. Energy sizzled between them as they stared at one another for a long moment.

"How 'bout we go get that drink? Maybe somewhere we won't be interrupted?" he asked softly, the timbre of his voice entirely too low and intimate for a conversation next to her desk. Fighting a delicious shiver, she ducked her head, plucking at imaginary lint on the coat that hung over the back of her chair.

"Sounds perfect," she whispered, looking up at him shyly from beneath her eyelashes. He stepped closer, so close she could feel his breath at her cheek as he slowly removed her coat from beneath her fingertips. Moving behind her, he gently guided her arms into the sleeves, reverently lifted her hair free from the collar, allowing her curls to cascade freely down her back once more. She turned to go, found him so close they were practically breathing the same air.

"Shall we?" he breathed, and she nodded, forcing her eyes to lift from where they were staring at his lips, so tantalizingly close to her own.

* * *

They caught a cab to the Old Haunt, the eight inches or so of brown leather seat between them almost vibrating with everything that had yet to be spoken, everything she longed to have the courage to finally say. She kept sneaking glances at him, wondering if perhaps this was it- perhaps finally he was going to repeat the words she had treasured in her heart all those months ago.

He paid the cabbie and opened the door for her, waving a greeting and a signal for a couple of beers at the bar staff as he gently guided her past the crowd of regulars to their usual booth at the back. He helped her off with her coat, brushing his fingers against her as he handed it back to her, before taking off his own and sliding in across from her.

A moment later, one of the bar staff came over with their drinks, exchanging a couple of pleasantries before leaving them alone.

Finally, blissfully alone.

Their eyes locked across the table, and she couldn't help nibbling her bottom lip, suddenly all too aware of the tension flowing back and forth across the table, building slowly higher and higher. His eyes darkened as he followed the movement with his eyes, then glanced away, blindly taking a healthy swig of his drink.

Returning the bottle to the table, he cleared his throat as he stared at the label, his eyes clouded. She reached a hand across the table, brushed the fabric of his shirt cuff with her fingertips. It was as if she smoothed away the frown on his forehead with her brief touch- his eyes cleared from stormy gray to midnight blue, and the look he gave her was so full of gratefulness she had to take a sip of her own drink to clear the sudden lump in her throat.

"You're remarkable," he murmured almost to himself. She shifted in her seat, uncomfortably aware of the flush of pleasure rising in her cheeks. He gave a low chuckle, glancing away to give her the space he knew she needed, then sighed. "What a week, huh?"

"Well, we closed the case. It won't bring all those people back, but at least we can tell them why it happened," she leaned back, happy to talk shop if it meant a break from the intensity she saw in his eyes. He bobbed his head in agreement, acknowledging her empathy with the families of the victims.

"Do you have any regrets, Kate?" he asked suddenly, holding her eyes with a directness she had rarely seen from him. She sat up again, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, blatantly stalling. He raised an eyebrow, challenging her, and she rolled her eyes at him. She could do this.

"Of course," was all she said, however. His eyes softened as he looked at her, yearning and adoration shining out unchecked.

"Me, too," he said. "When I think about what happened to those people, how nothing is ever guaranteed... Kate, I don't want to live with regrets any more."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: So normally when I post a fic, I'm ecstatic if I get half a dozen responses. I was blown out of the water today when I discovered between follows, reviews, and favorites, there was over 90! Thank you, thank you, thank you for reading and responding! I'm grateful and humbled and overwhelmed. You have no idea how much it means to me! Thank you!**

**...And now, without further ado, the second and final chapter...**

* * *

"_Do you have any regrets, Kate?" he asked suddenly, holding her eyes with a directness she had rarely seen from him. She sat up again, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, blatantly stalling. He raised an eyebrow, challenging her, and she rolled her eyes at him. She could do this._

"_Of course," was all she said, however. His eyes softened as he looked at her, yearning and adoration shining out unchecked. _

"_Me, too," he said. "When I think about what happened to those people, how nothing is ever guaranteed... Kate, I don't want to live with regrets any more."_

* * *

"It's never to late, Castle. What do you think you'd regret?" she asked breathlessly, nibbling on her lip in anticipation. Surely he would say it.

"You," he replied simply.

"Me?" she blinked, hope rising in her chest.

He must have replayed what he said in his mind, because all of a sudden he began stumbling over his words. "Not shadowing you. Never that. God, no. You know that, right? It's been the best experience of my life," he babbled. She chuckled, cutting him off. He was adorable.

"I know," she said.

His shoulders relaxed, and he smiled at her sheepishly. "Just wanted to be sure," he said, and then sighed again, that same slight frown tormenting his brow. She wondered if he was debating whether the moment had been lost. Again.

She didn't have the words or the courage, she knew that. He had to be the one to say it. But maybe she might have just enough courage to... help?

"What would you regret about me, then, Castle?" she asked softly, staring fixedly at her drink. She felt his eyes sweep her face, but didn't have enough courage left to meet his gaze.

"Surely you know by now, Kate," he said it so quietly she almost missed it over the ambient noise of bar. "It hasn't been about the books for a long, long time."

She couldn't inhale if she tried. "What do you mean?" she asked, her eyes flying up to meet his. Big mistake. His eyes were twin pools of hope and love, so overpoweringly vulnerable it took all she had not to flee the booth on instinct, so afraid of not being worthy, of saying or doing something to destroy that beautiful, tentative hope.

He swallowed, took a deep breath.

"You said once you wanted to wait until your wall came down before you could have the kind of relationship you wanted. My regret would be not telling you that I want to be the one you have that relationship with. You need to know that I'm waiting for you. That's why I show up at the precinct every day. For you. I want to be with you. That's what I'd regret most- missing my chance to be with you."

She stared at him for a long moment, trying desperately to wrap her brain around his words and what they meant. He said it. He finally said it. And he said it so beautifully, she had no idea how to respond- especially considering there was a damn table between them.

It was only when his eyes filled with disappointment and something that looked a little too much like shame, dropping to where his thumb was still worrying the label of his bottle, that she realized she still hadn't said anything. She cleared her throat, and he reluctantly brought his eyes back up to meet hers. Anything she might have said in that moment was chased away by telltale shininess of unshed tears welling in his eyes.

"It's ok, Kate," he whispered hoarsely. "I didn't expect you to-"

"My regret," she all but shouted over him, desperate to ease his anguish. He snapped his mouth shut, waited for her to continue. She ducked her head, looked up at him through her lashes. "My regret is that I lied to my partner months ago, and it's been eating at my conscience ever since."

He froze.

"Wha- what did you lie about?" he asked. She noticed his hand that had been picking at the bottle label had begun to shake. He followed her gaze, fisted it, and snatched it under the table away from her eyes. She reluctantly looked back up at him.

"I remember getting shot," she whispered. "I remember everything."

The color drained from his face. "Everything?"

She nodded. He closed his eyes, lowered his head. She watched him in confusion.

"Of course. I'm sorry for taking your time, Detective," he said when he opened them again, reaching for his coat and avoiding her gaze. She reached out across the table and snagged his sleeve.

"Where are you going?" her voice trembled with very real fear. When he finally lifted his eyes back to hers, they were filled with humiliation and defeat.

"I get it, Kate. It's ok, really. You were embarrassed because you didn't feel the same way, and you wanted to spare my feelings. I'm the fool who thought... but that doesn't matter now, I guess." He moved to stand.

She sprang up from the table, grabbed his arms. "No! Castle, no! That's not it at all! Please- you waited all this time. Please at least hear me out. Then if you're still mad at me, go ahead and leave, but please let me explain first."

His eyes were hard, the color of granite, but he nodded, shaking her off gently and sliding back into the booth, still looking anywhere but at her.

She sat down tentatively, reached halfway across the table before clenching her trembling fingers into a fist. "I didn't lie because I don't love you," she began, desperation making her more honest than she had ever been. "I lied because I was so messed up I thought you'd be better off without me."

He glanced up at her then, surprised. "I- _what_?"

She gave a self-depreciating laugh. "Montgomery died because of me, Castle. Everyone connected to that case kept dying. Everyone I got close to. And then when I woke up... I was a mess, Castle. Not just physically-"

"You were beautiful," he murmured. Hope flared in her chest. She hadn't lost him yet, no matter how much she stumbled.

She shook her head. "Nowhere near. You remember that fight we had, in my apartment? You were right about all of it. I was going to apologize to you after the funeral for that, but..." she trailed off, as both of them took a moment to remember exactly why that conversation had never had a chance to take place. She sighed, knowing she had to get it out. "And then you showed up at the hospital looking so dashing and handsome and put-together, and Josh was there, and I had just been trying to find the words to tell him I wanted to break things off, and everything was so messed up, and I didn't know what else to do." She slumped back in her seat in misery and dropped her eyes. "It wasn't because I don't love you, Castle. If you believe nothing else, at least believe that."

A shout of laughter from the bar echoed back to them. She was glad someone was enjoying their evening, now that she had screwed up her own.

"It wasn't because you don't," she heard him mumble almost to himself. She glanced up at him, almost surprised he wasn't leaving. That yearning hope was back in his eyes, making her heart trip over itself. "Does that mean you... do?" he asked, his voice small, like a lost boy.

She had no words. Something full and beautiful was crashing over her in waves. She could nod, though, so she did, a shy smile playing at the corner of her lips.

It was as if someone had plugged in the Christmas lights. His entire being lit up and came alive, beaming across the booth at her. She felt her own face break out into a full smile at the sight, sharing his joy.

"Kate...!" his tone was tender, reverent. It made her feel like she had given him every last possible thing he could wish for. A tear welled up, left a trail down his cheek. She reached a hand across the table, wishing she was near enough to him to catch it with her thumb. He snagged her fingers in his own, cradled them gently, running his thumb in smooth circles on her skin that sent tingles to her toes. "Really?" he asked finally, seeking reassurance.

She grinned, more confident now that the hardest part was over. "Yes. I have done for... longer than I think I'd even admit to myself."

His smile answered hers, grew bigger, blinding. "Me, too. But you said you needed time and I hoped you meant for me..."

"I did!" she interrupted quickly, eagerly. He squeezed her hand.

"...and I didn't want to pressure you. But Kate, you have no idea how hard it's been to not say anything all these months," he smiled at her with dreamy blue eyes.

She bit her lip again. "I know. There were so many times I've wanted to say something, but I was so scared that something might happen. That I would mess this up. You're too important to me, Castle," she swiped her thumb across his knuckles in sweet little movements, caressing him.

"And you are to me, too," he said. She had never seen his face so open, his countenance so honest. He kept glancing down to their joined hands as if checking to see if this was really happening. She understood completely, positive she looked a bit dazed and dreamy herself. He shifted suddenly in his seat. "So what happens now? Because while I want nothing more than to be with you, if you still need time, you need to know I'm willing to wait-"

"No, Castle. No more waiting. I want to be with you, too," she said eagerly, loving how happy it made him to hear her say that. He grinned again.

"Then how would you feel about coming back to my place? I would suggest yours, but after this week, Alexis-"

"Your place would be great. It sounds like I have tomorrow off at the very least, and I'm sure Alexis would like to see you," she smiled, and his eyes crinkled in response. He stood, began putting his coat on, the remnants of his drink long forgotten on the table.

"We can stop by your place on the way, if you like. You could pack a bag and stay a couple of nights if you wanted to. I mean... that is... We have a guest room, as you know, so I don't mean to..." he fumbled.

She stood slowly, gracefully, and slid her hands up his shoulders and around his neck. "You obviously have too high an estimation of my ability to keep my hands to myself," she murmured, smiling up at him. He wrapped his arms around her almost on reflex, and slowly lowered his mouth, brushing it across hers once, twice, before deepening the kiss. It was tentative and exploratory and filled with fireworks. She couldn't help the soft noise in the back of her throat as she opened to him, inviting him in closer, deeper.

When they finally came up for air, he leaned his forehead against hers, eyes still closed. She reached up and brushed a hand through his hair, nudged her nose against his.

"Please tell me I'm not dreaming," he whispered.

She brushed her lips against his again, couldn't help herself. "This is so much better than a dream, Castle. This is the most real thing I've ever had."

He opened his eyes then, looked deeply into hers. "Me, too," he smiled.

She ran her hands across his shoulders, reluctantly pulling away so she could pick up her coat. "Come on, Castle. Let's go see your kid," she said, taking his hand and letting him lead her out of the bar and into the night.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: So it turns out I'm a liar. It's only because so many of you begged, and I am weak, and bow to peer pressure. Plus, I wanted to know what happened, too. This chapter is dedicated to AnnieXMuller, who has evil powers of persuasion and used them against me to make me write chapter three of a 2-chapter fic. Once again, thank you to everyone who read or followed or favorited or reviewed- you've all left me grinning like an idiot for the past two days. Warning: contains pure, unadulterated fluffy fluff. **

**This really is the last chapter this time. I mean it. No more. :-)**

* * *

They held hands in the cab.

She felt like a fourteen year old hanging out at the mall with her crush. Every gentle stroke of his thumb against her knuckles sent tremors through her frame, had her gasping for air. She turned her head to face out the window, unsure she would be able to restrain herself from flinging her arms around his neck and having her way with him in the back seat of a cab for all the world to see, should she make the mistake of catching his gaze. He was watching her. She could feel it as surely as if he was tracing his fingers across her skin- the expanse of her throat, the curve of her cheek, the line of her jaw.

He came up with her to her apartment, but hung back near the kitchen as she moved quickly into her room and threw some clothes and toiletries into an overnight bag. While not normally one to pack too heavily, she decided this time to bring both options- some sexy and some comfortable, as she really wasn't sure which way events would take them. She was fast- just a few minutes- and she watched him straighten up as she emerged, sweeping his eyes over her, roving hungrily. She would have thought it ridiculous with anyone else, but she had missed his touch in those scant few moments they had separated, and wasn't surprised he was behaving as if he felt the same way.

He held out his hand for her bag wordlessly, and while she offered it to him, she didn't let go of the handle, allowing him to use it to tug her into his chest and wrap his other arm around her. She pressed her nose into his collar, inhaling his scent, taking a moment to revel in the feeling of being wrapped in him.

"The cab's waiting," he said. Although he was the one to make the observation, he sounded about as eager to move as she was. She shivered as she felt the rumble of his voice beneath her cheek, and finally, reluctantly lifted her head.

"We should go," she agreed, her gaze sweeping from his midnight blue gaze down to his lips. She leaned in almost unconsciously, and he more than met her half way, plundering her mouth with his own, tasting and seeking and loving. She released her hold on the bag so she could drag both hands up his chest and around his neck, into his hair.

When he finally released her, they were both panting, wearing matching mussed and dazed expressions.

She pulled her kiss-swollen lip into her mouth, savoring the lingering taste of him. "Cab?" she breathed, peeking up at him beneath her lashes. He nodded, apparently having temporarily lost access to that portion of his brain containing his somewhat extensive vocabulary, and slid his free hand down her arm to capture her fingers, unwilling to lose contact with her completely. Locking her apartment with only one hand wasn't the easiest task, but she had done it before and wasn't willing to disengage her other hand.

Somehow, he managed to open the car door with the hand carrying her bag, and allowed her to slide in first. He kissed the back of her hand after he gave the cabbie his address, almost in punctuation- a gentle brush of his lips that she felt down her spine. When he caught her staring, he grinned at her, taking in her parted lips, chest rising and falling in shallow breaths. Tugging her closer so that he could nudge her temple with his nose, he murmured "I don't know how I'm going to keep my hands off you in front of my family."

"You don't have to. Not that... I'm not saying..." she fumbled, knowing his mind well enough to know it would plunge to the gutter given the smallest encouragement. He didn't disappoint.

"Why, Detective Beckett, I never took you for an exhibitionist! For the sake of my daughter, though, I must insist that you restrain yourself..." he teased, and she laughed, her cheeks blooming.

"I didn't mean that, Castle, and you know it. I only meant... We need to keep this quiet at the precinct, because Gates will use any excuse she has to throw you out. But your family... if you want to tell them..."

He pulled away from her so he could read her eyes. "Are you sure you're okay with them knowing? Because as much as I'd like to shout it from the rooftops, part of me wants to keep it to ourselves, you know?"

"I'm good with whatever you decide, Castle. I'm not going anywhere, so you'll need to break it to them at some point," she said.

He broke out into a grin. "I could get used to hearing you say things like that," he said. She smiled and leaned her cheek on his shoulder. It was always so inviting, and she had no reason to stop herself any more.

A few minutes later they were pulling up outside his building. Eduardo stepped forward and opened the door, bidding them a good evening. Castle paid the cabbie and maneuvered them and her bag out of the car, exchanging pleasantries with the doorman on the way. As soon as the elevator doors closed behind them, Castle unceremoniously dumped the overnight bag on the floor and tugged her into him, wrapping his frame around hers and just breathing her in. She snaked her hands around his waist, enjoying his comfort and warmth. She could feel his reluctance to part as the doors slid open, and brushed a kiss across his jaw in sympathy. Being with him was already so comfortable. There had been a lot of silence between them on the way here, but it was because they were both basking in the rightness of being together this way.

He unlocked the door and paused, hand on the handle, looking at her. "Ready?" he asked with a shy smile. She felt herself melt a little at how eager he was to bring her into his family, his most protected part of himself. She nodded, smiling back at him, and he bent down to brush one last feather light kiss across her lips before opening the door and tugging her inside.

* * *

"Kate! Welcome! Come in!" Martha caught sight of them coming in and glided over, embracing the Detective warmly. It was only as she pulled away that she noticed their joined hands. "And what's this?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at the pair. Kate smiled sheepishly, squeezing her partner's hand.

"We closed the case today, Mother," Castle said as if that explained everything, lifting Kate's hand to his lips and brushing a kiss against the back of it before releasing her so he could deal to his coat, before helping her off with hers- all as if it were the most normal thing in the world to kiss his partner's hand. Alexis swiveled around from where she was working at the breakfast bar.

"You caught the bomber?" she asked, eyes wide. Coats dealt with, Castle moved to his daughter's side, planting a kiss on the crown of her head.

"Yes, we did. It's all done with," he reassured her.

Martha raised an eyebrow as she led Kate towards the kitchen. "Richard, that wasn't what I was talking about, and you know it. When did this happen?" she asked, wiggling her finger between the two of them pointedly.

Kate glanced shyly at her partner before putting his mother out of her misery. "Just this evening," she said quietly. Martha halted her movements to look Kate in the eye seriously.

"I'm so glad, Kiddo," she said, before whirling to the cabinet behind her. "This calls for celebration!"

"Why does everything need to be celebrated with _my_ wine?" Castle complained, eyes twinkling at the "Oh, hush," his mother threw at him over her shoulder. Alexis turned wide blue eyes on her father and his partner as Kate gravitated to his side.

"What's Gram talking about?" she asked suspiciously. Castle wrapped his arm around Kate's waist, pulled her into him in answer.

"Kate and I are together now," he replied proudly. Alexis' eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Are you... okay with that?" Kate asked tentatively.

Alexis was silent for a long moment, glancing from Kate to her dad and back again shrewdly. Kate found herself holding her breath, knowing that no matter how much Castle cared about her, his daughter's disapproval could potentially end everything before it began. He would always choose Alexis.

"Pumpkin...?" Castle's voice was hesitant, the lost little boy seeking approval.

Finally, Alexis smiled. "I'm glad," she said simply, and the two adults breathed out simultaneous sighs of relief. "There's leftovers in the fridge," she added casually as she turned back to her work, as if her father announced he was finally in a relationship with the woman he had been pursuing for four years every evening.

"You hungry?" he asked, and Kate nodded, stepping to the side so he could move into the kitchen to organize dinner.

"What are you working on?" Kate asked Alexis quietly, sliding onto a bar stool and accepting the glass of wine Martha passed her.

"I just wanted to finish this catalog. I'm nearly done. I asked Dr. Parish if I could do it at home, since I didn't quite get it done today," the girl replied, glancing up to see Kate's eyebrows raised in surprise. "She told me I didn't need to bother, that I could do it tomorrow, but it's for the victim's families, so I wanted to, you know? It seems important."

Kate couldn't stop the slow, slightly sad smile that spread across her face. "You're right, Alexis. It's very important. I'm really glad you feel that way about your work."

"Well, this internship has shown me so much about why following you around is so important to my Dad. It isn't just research for his books. Not any more. He loves working with you."

Castle removed a steaming plate of lasagne from the microwave and placed it in front of the Detective with a flourish. "She's right about that on at least two different levels," he said, planting a kiss on his new girlfriend's forehead.

"Ew! Dad!" Alexis complained, grinning. He put his own plate in the microwave, and turned to his daughter.

"I don't care how close you are to being done, Daughter. I invited Kate over for a post-case movie night, and your presence is required. Go forth and prepare!" he instructed. Alexis grinned, snatching up her work and putting it away.

* * *

Two hours later, the credits were rolling, and Kate couldn't have repeated a single major plot point of the film she had just watched- and that was no comment on the quality of film. By the way Castle and Alexis quoted and argued throughout, and the way Martha threw up her hands and headed upstairs at sight of the title, it was clearly a favorite in this household- but Kate had been too busy enjoying the feeling of being cuddled into Castle's side, his broad, solid chest and strong arm anchoring her to him, his slightly musky scent surrounding her. She found herself staring up at him, amazed that she could finally be here with him, just casually spending an evening curled into his side, his kid stretched out in the armchair with stripey socks resting on the coffee table.

Alexis arched like an adorable ginger kitten when the credits rolled, and stood reluctantly. "I'm heading to the morgue early tomorrow, Dad, so I might not see you til I get home," she said, bending down to kiss her father on the crown of his head.

"You aren't working too hard down there, are you, Pumpkin? Because I can always talk to Dr. Parish if you're feeling overloaded..." he began, but she shook her head.

"I do it because I like it, Dad. And Dr. Parish has already told me that after tomorrow I have a mandatory four day weekend to recover from this case," she said, smiling. "Night, Dad. Good night, Kate."

They replied in kind, and a moment later the sound of light footsteps heading up the stairs let them know they were finally alone again. Castle looked down at her, pressing a kiss against her forehead, her cheek, her eyes, the corner of her mouth, grinning at her as he pulled back.

"I like being able to do that," he whispered conspiratorially. She reached her hand up to run it against the day's stubble at his jaw, angled his head so she could kiss him properly.

"I like being able to do that," she hummed when she finally pulled away. He removed his arm from around her and stood slowly, stretching out a crick in his back, before gallantly offering a hand out to help her up. When she delicately placed her hand in his, he tugged slightly too violently, crushing her into his chest, both of them staggering but managing to right themselves before any damage was done. She glared at him, and he grinned boyishly back. His expression changed to hesitance as he glanced towards his study and the bedroom that was beyond.

"There's still the guest room, Kate. Please don't feel like I'm-"

She slanted her mouth over his, silencing him suddenly, thoroughly, and enjoyably. When she pulled back, her eyes were dark and smokey. He swallowed, mouth suddenly dry.

"Take me to bed, Castle," she whispered, pulling away from his slackened arms, taking his hand, and leading him through the study and into his bedroom.

Once there, she dropped his hand and he watched from where he was leaning against the back of the door as she explored his space. She brushed her fingers lightly over ornaments and nicknacks, some of them obviously collectors pieces and other clearly handmade gifts from Alexis. She paused at his dresser where two photos were displayed in simple, understated frames. One was Alexis, at about 8 years old, dressed up for some occasion or other and incredibly cute, all ribbons and smiles. The other was of herself, in the break room of the precinct, taken a couple of years ago judging by the hair length, laughing at something over a cup of coffee.

She turned to ask him about it, to discover him standing directly behind her, hands at the ready to slide around her waste. "Castle, when-"

He silenced her by brushing his lips against hers. "I told you, Kate. I want to be with you. I've wanted it for a long time," he said simply. She surged into him then, tongue and teeth and warmth, giving and taking. It wasn't long before she was reaching for the buttons of his shirt, but he stilled her hands, pulled back so he could look her in the eye. "There's no rush, Kate. I want to do this right. Will you let me love you?" he asked, his voice low and gravelly, making her insides coil.

She nodded slowly, let him lead her over to the bed where, layer by layer, he gently unwrapped her, before divesting himself of his clothes and slowly and thoroughly loving her until she sobbed out her release.

She couldn't help the smile that adorned her face as she drifted off to sleep with him curled protectively around her, spooning her and holding her right where she wanted to be- no barriers in the way, and close to his heart.

Home.


End file.
